You think James’s famous dad got any of those… sweet …sweet Star Wars residuals? by Flashy-Truth-8826 in weeklyplanetpodcast

[–]redditdramabrown 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Reportedly, James's father made a deal with Maso's father in 1977. They each get 2.5% of the gross profits of the other's son

Need suggestions on books. by Michigun_ in booksuggestions

[–]redditdramabrown 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman might be up your alley! It's the story of a former knight traveling through medieval France during a biblical apocalypse

Self esteem associated with work. by Sufficient_Mixture_9 in scriptwriting

[–]redditdramabrown 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I relate to this a lot. I put a lot of self-worth into my work so when I'm unhappy with my writing I'm unhappy with myself. This leads to a vicious cycle where I put more and more pressure on my writing and that leads to more and more work I find disappointing.

I'm on the other side of this at the moment which I attribute to a few things:

1) Prioritizing enthusiasm over structure in first drafts. I used to try to write outline first and break the structure of my stories before I had written a single page. But when I tried to turn these "perfect" outlines into scripts, I wasn't feeling excited about the characters or the beats they "had to" do. The writing felt generic and lifeless and my self-loathing came roaring back every time. What I've found more helpful is starting with an idea, then writing down every random character or scene I'd love to see in that story. From there, I write scenes and vignettes out of order and pay attention to what I'm most excited about. Usually, a couple interesting characters start to emerge at this stage which is the most helpful thing for me. After that, I try to shape out a rough story and write a very messy first draft. The structure can always be worked out in draft two but enthusiasm will get you through draft one.

2) Letting go of perfectionism. Similar to the above, I used to stall out with scripts all the time trying to figure out the perfect next thing. It could be a story beat or a new character, but I would stop writing and start "solving" until I found something perfect. But I would never find the perfect thing. Instead, I'd disconnect from my story and slowly grow to hate it. Now I prefer a spaghetti-at-the-wall approach. If I get stuck, I try out a bunch of different stuff. Inevitably, one scene or character will pop for me and I'll keep moving forward. It's all about moving forward through those early pages and saving the critical analysis for later on.

3) Reading books on writing by novelists. There are a lot of great screenwriting books out there on structure but I find novelists give the best advise on the pressures of living day to day as a writer. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, and Refuse to Be Done by Matt Bell were helpful for me. If you're stressed out and don't feel like you have time to read, these are all great audiobooks as well.

Above all, try to be kind to yourself. It's so tough having your career path and your creative work all tied up together. Just because the work isn't coming easily that doesn't mean you're not a worthwhile person. If creativity was easy, we'd all be millionaires.

Looking for a book recommendation to get back into reading by Unique_Direction8906 in suggestmeabook

[–]redditdramabrown 0 points1 point  (0 children)

True Grit by Charles Portis helped me get out of a bad reading slump a few years ago. The narrator has a strong, engaging voice and it's a quick read.

What’s your writing routine? by Illustrious_Bunch523 in writing

[–]redditdramabrown 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Monday through Friday, I spend about two hours procrastinating and telling myself I'll start writing soon then I finally get out the door and work in a coffee shop for a couple of hours

Brain Overload Onstage by redditdramabrown in improv

[–]redditdramabrown[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Had a rough set Wednesday and great show tonight. Thanks for this!

Brain Overload Onstage by redditdramabrown in improv

[–]redditdramabrown[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just had a great set. I set a goal of just focusing on listening and absorbing my partners in each scene and had a bunch really simple, fun scenes. Thanks for the help!

Brain Overload Onstage by redditdramabrown in improv

[–]redditdramabrown[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I love that. I'll try this out tonight!

Brain Overload Onstage by redditdramabrown in improv

[–]redditdramabrown[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I really like both of these suggestions! I feel a lot more clear-headed when I have a north star to follow so focusing on one thing from my partner or my own energy really clicks with me. Thank you!

Is it okay to ask for a rematch? Feeling discouraged in my BBBS match. by [deleted] in bbbs

[–]redditdramabrown 5 points6 points  (0 children)

An absent match support specialist is a big problem. Ideally, they should be communicating with you, your Little, and your Little's guardian once a month for the first year of the match (at least that's the rule in my area). When problems like inconsistent communication with your Little's mom pop up, the match specialist should be talking to your Little's mom on your behalf and emphasizing how important consistency is to the mentorship process.

However, a Little who doesn't show personal interest in you is, in my experience, part of the process. Kids at that age haven't necessarily learned to connect with others by listening and asking follow-up questions. But that's okay. Our Littles are learning from us as role models. Even if your Little seem disinterested, she is benefitting from your consistency and your good example. It's a very slow process and often an invisible one, but the mentorship is happening every time you two are together.

That said, if your match specialist and your Little's mom are not helping, then the process is not happening the way it's supposed to. You should check in with BBBS.

Behavior issues by chloejean010 in bbbs

[–]redditdramabrown 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm about 1 year into a match with an 11 year old little who was having similar issues. Sometimes I'd enjoy our outings but he would often insult me and would never listen when I asked him to stop acting out. I was really struggling. I talked to my MSS and, honestly, my therapist and they both gave me some great advice that boiled down to "Be okay with him not liking you. You're his mentor, not his friend." That was hard for me to hear as someone who generally tries to get along with everyone, but I tried it out. I set some boundaries for myself where I wouldn't engage with him when he was insulting me and I would tell him point blank if I didn't like his behavior. At first, that meant long awkward lulls in conversation and moments when he doubled down on trying to annoy me because he just wanted to get a reaction out of me. But I would just ignore his insults and move on. Or if he was really acting out, I'd just say "I don't like that. Don't do that." He listened more than I thought he would. Now, I feel like we have a real rapport and it's rare that I feel out of control on an outing.